President Obama’s address yesterday on inequality was a concerted effort to shift the conversation away from Obamacare, at least until the implementation is far enough along to be repeal-proof. Whether or not it succeeds, the speech is another sign that ideological arguments over the causes of social immobility are heating up. Whichever narrative wins over an increasingly attentive public is likely to influence policies ranging from tax code reform to social welfare spending, so it’s worth parsing Obama’s version carefully.

There’s been a lot of controversy over something called the “Knock Out Game” in which young attackers punch people in the face with no obvious motive or reason. Some (mostly right wing) outlets are warning about a national epidemic of hate crimes, some (mostly left wing) sites have been calling it much ado about nothing and relegating the story to the category of “urban myth.” In the latest twist, Laurie Cumbo, a newly elected member of the NY City Council from Brooklyn (who is African-American) has released an open letter, which you can read on her Facebook page, in which she says that these attacks (NY police are investigating a number of incidents) near Crown Heights may be the fault of local Jewish residents.

Since 2011, Oregon has been pursuing an ambitious “40-40-20 plan,” which aims to have 40 percent of the state’s adults holding a bachelor’s degree, 40 more holding an associate’s degree, and the remaining 20 with a high school diploma or equivalent in the next 15 years. This goal naturally involves a major overhaul of the state’s education system, one that de-emphasizes standardized tests. That’s where the state runs into conflict with the Obama administration.

Despite being booted from office in disgrace and convicted of tax fraud, Berlusconi and his party’s approval ratings are trending upward again. For the umpteenth time, Berlusconi’s party seems primed for a comeback after being counted out for good (although this time his daughter may be the one in charge).

The UN’s much-vaunted Green Climate Fund (GCF) opened its headquarters in South Korea today. You’ll forgive us if we don’t bust out the streamers and kazoos; at this point, there’s not much to cheer. The fund has raised just $40 million of the tens of billions of dollars originally envisioned.

Once again, Brazil seems to have missed an historic opportunity to transform itself and leap into the front rank of world economies. The FT reports that Brazil just had its worst quarterly slowdown in five years, its GDP is shrinking, and investment is drying up. Yet he finance minister did his best to shift the blame by talking about the global economy.

The US “pivot”, and Washington’s enduring commitment to stability and prosperity in Asia, is one of the most important geopolitical strategies of the Obama administration. It is a bipartisan goal, and whoever takes office after President Obama will likely support it. But in this sensitive time, as rising China tests the US and other Asian powers, Washington mustn’t give its Asian allies any reason to doubt that the US is anything short of fully committed to the region for the long term.

Outrage is a spent emotion in Pakistan. Both terrorists and those terrorized are finding it increasingly difficult to shock, or be shocked any more, by anything. There was nothing surprising about this attack or its aftermath. Politicians and the police have promised a swift and thorough investigation and better security. It would be wise to be skeptical of their promises.

Melancholy and some relief filled the corridors of the Illinois state legislature last night as it finally worked up the chutzpah to pass modest but important pension cuts over the heads of union leaders and some demurring lawmakers. Predictably, dissenting Democrats called it draconian, a handful of Republicans said it didn’t go far enough, and unions, which prefer the bill vetoed, will contest it in court. This is only the first of many necessary reforms and it’s far from a comprehensive fix, but given Illinois’ dismal record over the past two years, any step forward should be seen as an accomplishment.

Boko Haram militants attacked an army installation in a northern Nigerian city yesterday. Civilians say hundreds of militants took part in the attack and that helicopters and planes were destroyed, and an army barracks completely leveled. There are not yet any reliable reports on casualties. One thing is for certain: Boko Haram is far from vanquished.